Former Chicago Bulls big man Joakim Noah was among the thousands in attendance at United Center to watch the Bulls play the New York Knicks Wednesday night. Of course, the game was also some sort of a homecoming for Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau who coached the Bulls for several seasons.
Thibodeau and Noah met with each other prior to the game during the pregame press conference, with Noah entering the media room midway. When Thibodeau saw Noah, he greeted his former player and said “late as usual,” as the entire room burst into laughter.
Much later, Noah asked Thibodeau if he'd come to his wedding, to which Thibodeau responded “next question!”
Thibodeau and Noah had some great moments together when they were still both part of the Bulls. During their time in Chicago, the Bulls were a perennial title playoff contender and always a threat to go deep in the playoffs and win a championship.
As for the game itself on Wednesday, the Knicks scored a 128-120 overtime win against the Bulls, thanks to huge performances from the duo of Julius Randle and Jalen Brunson. Randle churned out a team-high 31 points, while Brunson dropped 30 points with seven assists — and the dagger 3-pointer that sealed the deal for the Knicks.
The Knicks will now take aim at extending their win streak to six games on Friday against the same Bulls squad.
Before becoming head coach of the Knicks, Tom Thibodeau coached the Bulls from 2010 to 2015 and the Minnesota Timberwolves from 2016 to 2019.